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Enjoy the Saper
Galleries display Couples and Families: Hand-carved Shona
Stone Sculpture from Zimbabwe in the
center gallery. And yes, we can ship
your selection to you anywhere in the world!
The sale of these sculptures provides opportunities and education for the families of the artists who live in a country where the unemployment rate is 95% and the GDP is under $100 per capita. Nearly 70% of the population lives in poverty and life expectancy is the mid-30s. The country's budget of $133 million is not much more than the cost of a Van Gogh or Picasso painting. |
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The basic tenant of the Shona people
is "live together and the culture will
thrive". The spirits of the Shona peoples'
ancestors come to them in their dreams to reveal
the images that dwell within the rock.
After quarrying the rock with pickax and pry
bar, the artists use handmade tools to release
the spirits trapped within the multicolored
serpentine.
Shona sculptures
impress, stimulate and inspire.
A
central belief and practice in traditional Shona
culture is ukama, which means living
together in close family relationships. Family
ties are all-important to these people, and from
birth through death and beyond, Shona families are
bound together in the mutual respect, support and
love that is the greater extended family -- ukama. These sculptures started with the artist traveling in the Zimbabwe countryside in search of a particularly powerful stone spirit. The stone is dug out of the earth and chiseled (for weeks or months depending on the size and hardness of the stone) to reveal a colorful soul which finally appears in the final washing stages, just before firing and polishing. Robert Mugabe, one time president of Zimbabwe, said the "Shona art is something like the anthem of our freedom, and remains now at the center of our culture...(in fact) the artists are the precursors of our history." Sculptures like these evoke the feelings of harmony and peace -- ukama -- that earn the blessings of the ancestors and reminds them of our closer global family. Enjoy! ~ Roy C. Saper |
 Family of 5 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Edmore Tendai 15" tall Sorry, sold for $475  Dancing Family of 3 < New! Hand-carved cobalt stone sculpture by Francis Chikowore 13 3/4" tall $780  Family of 4 Hand-carved brown serpentine stone sculpture by Bvumai Chiripanyanga 16" tall Sorry, sold for $720  Family of 5 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Edmore Tendai 13 1/2" tall Sorry, sold for $450 |
 Family of 4 Hand-carved black serpentine stone sculpture by Bamusi Dzikupuweni 18 3/4" tall Sorry, sold for $750 |
 Family of 4 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Edmore Tendai 12" tall Sorry, sold for $400 |
 Family of 3 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Edmore Tendai 12 1/4" tall Sorry, sold for $380 |
 Family of 3 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Edmore Tendai 13" tall Sorry, sold for $380 |
 Encircled Dancing Family of Four (small) Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Francis Chikowore. 13 1/2" tall Sorry, sold for $680 |
 Encircled Dancing Family of Four (large) Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture by Francis Chikowore. 18 3/4" tall $1,480 |
 Joyful Family of Four Hand-carved red jasper stone sculpture Red jasper is known as a stone of empowerment, bringing strength to resist emotional dominance by others. 16" tall Sorry, sold for $540 |
 Family of 4 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture 13" tall Sorry, sold for $360 |
 Family of 4 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture 13" tall Sorry, sold for $380 |
 Family of 4 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture 22 1/2" tall Sorry, sold for $750 |
 Family of 5 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture signed W Chikore 26 1/2" tall Sorry, sold for $1,300 |
 Family of 6 Hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture 20" tall $700 |
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serpentine stone sculptures shown below were all
created for Saper Galleries by artist Emmanuel Makoni from his home in
Zimbabwe. Each is unique and totally
hand-carved by the artist and polished
smooth. The photos below show the actual
sculptures that were in our inventory.
Many visitors to Saper Galleries have acquired the
sculptures to give away as anniversary, wedding, and
holiday gifts. Perhaps you may know someone
who would enjoy displaying one on a desk or
bookshelf as a gift from you! |
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 Family of 4 4 5/8" tall Sorry, sold for $75 |
 Family of 4 4 3/8" tall Sorry, sold for $75 |
 Family of 4 4 3/4" tall Sorry, sold for $75 |
 Encircled Couple 4 1/4" tall Sorry, sold for $95 |
 Encircled Family of Four 4 1/2" tall Sorry, sold for $125 |
 Parent and Child 5 1/4" tall Sorry, sold for $75 |
 Parent and Child 5" tall Sorry, sold for $75 |
 Family of 5 5 1/2" tall Sorry, sold for $85 |
 Family of 5 6" tall Sorry, sold for $88 |
 Couple 5 3/8" tall Sorry, sold for 80 |
 Couple 6 1/4" tall Sorry, sold for $85 |
 Couple 7" tall Sorry, sold for $90 |
 Couple 6 3/4" tall Sorry, sold for $90 |
 Giraffe Lovers 5 1/8" tall Sorry, sold for $78 |
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 Giraffe Lovers (smooth) 5 1/8" tall Sorry, sold for $75 |
 Giraffe Family 9" tall Sorry, sold for $120 |
 Giraffe Couple 9 1/4" tall Sorry, sold for $140 |
Saper
Galleries....where excellence is the standard!
433 Albert Avenue East Lansing, Michigan 48823 USA (517)351-0815
